Here Is What Vladimir Putin Said On His Interview With Tucker Carlson

In an interview with Tucker Carlson, former Fox News host, Russian President Vladimir Putin argued that Moscow has a historic claim over Ukraine, a claim Russia has been making since it’s war on Ukraine started two years ago. Carlson faces heavy pushback over giving space for Putin. The interview was held at Kremlin.

In a two-hour long interview, the Russian President claimed that parts of Ukraine along the Black Sea “have no historical connection to Ukraine whatsoever”, as per translation of the interview given in Carlson’s website.

Putin cited the eastern expansion of NATO as a reason for the “rift” between the West and Russia. He argued that the “promise was that NATO would not expand eastward but it happened five times”. Putin said Russia tried to push against the expansion, which led to the current conflict with Ukraine.

When asked if Moscow has reached its “aims” in Ukraine, Putin respond that it has not. He said that one of Russia’s aims is to prohibit “all kinds of neo-Nazi movements” taking place in Ukraine, through a process which he called “de-Nazification” of Ukraine, a claim which dozens of scholars from western countries debunk as “factually wrong, morally repugnant and deeply offensive”.

When asked about Washington’s involvement in the war, Putin argued that, “don’t you have anything better to do?”. He also cited “issues on the border, issues with migration, issues with the national debt”.

When Carlson asked whether Russia is willing to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested last year over the charges of espionage, which the US has condemned and the US says are unfounded, Putin said he believes an agreement can be reached. The Russian President also reiterated the country’s claim that Gershkovich collected confidential information and is “essentially controlled by the US authorities”.

This is the first time a western media has initiated talk with the Russian President, who have been isolated by the West over its war on Ukraine. Carlson said that “it’s our job” to talk to Putin. He added that Americans “are not informed” about the war and are “paying for much of it in ways they might not fully yet perceive”.

The journalist has been vocal about US foreign aid to Ukraine. He used his platform in recent years as a prime-time host on Fox and then on his website online to repeatedly question US’ military spending on Ukraine.

After spending 14 years in Fox News, he was unexpectedly ousted from the network last April, in which Fox called a mutual agreement. Carlson has been accused of his slant towards Russia. In 2019, he made a comment that he is “rooting for Russia”, a comment which he later said was a joke.